Sunday, February 24, 2008

On the Super Bowl

THOUGHTS ON THE ‘SUPER BOWL’

Like tens of millions of others, there I was, yesterday at 6:00 eastern standard time, eating and drinking with friends in front of a huge TV, getting ready to watch the SUPER BOWL. I actually had seen part of the previous play-off games so I knew what teams were playing and the rough history behind the game, but me, a football fan? NOT! Some good friends were putting on the party so Judy and I were glad to attend and contribute to the fun. But we certainly didn’t care who won.

But Damn! Within a half an hour, there I was, as enthralled as the best (worst?) of them, whooping it up in favour of the New York Giants. Why not the Patriots? No reason at all, except that I’m usually in favour of the underdogs.

There’s no doubt that it was a great game. Good entertainment right up to the last second. But later, when I had a chance to digest the whole thing, I tried to figure out what it was that really made it so fun to watch. The outcome certainly wasn’t important in any real way, to me or to most of the other millions who watched. O sure, we had a betting pool going and someone won twenty or thirty bucks. There were certainly millions of dollars, maybe billions, changing hands over the outcome, but for most of us, betting was merely a way to increase the excitement.

It was not a spiritual matter. It was not a family matter, nor a national one like a World Cup Soccer match would have been. For the players and team, it was personal, kind of, but the pride and bragging rights were well encased with money. And six million dollars per half a minute per TV commercial time? There’s no doubt as to the reason for the whole affair.

Isn’t this symbolic of everything I’m against? How could I even attend in good conciounce? But there I was! And I’d do it again. Next year for sure.

I think the fact that it is basically meaningless is the very reason it is popular. There is no way that anybody will be offended. There is absolutely nothing there of value. The day is based upon pure materialism and frivolity, a show piece to parade the biggest and fasted and richest of our little boys who have spent their lives moving a little ball down a big field, thinking that it was the most important thing in the whole world. And for a few hours we are united in the hope that this lie is true. For that short time there is no more important purpose. No Truth. No better Way. No needy whose dying eyes and streching arms ask us to change. No earth in need of justice and clean air. Just millionair gladiators with their little ball. Pure escape. God knows, I needed it. The Romans had their circus’, we have sports. Great stuff!
As long as we don’t take it seriously.

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